Freshwater Aquarium Fish Profile

Red Wolf Fish (Erythrinus erythrinus)

Wolf Fish Care:

For July 2014 the fish of the month is Erythrinus erythrinus (er-e-thr-ee-nus / er-e-thr-ee-nus) also known as, the Red or Hi-fin Wolf Fish. Originating from the freshwater systems of central and South America, this particular Wolf Fish has found its way into the living rooms of fish keepers around the globe despite being fairly uncommon in retail fish stores. Feeding on smaller fish and insects in the wild, the wolf fish is a true predator, however will consume most non-live foods, but of course will appreciate a feeder fish or two if you have the resources. As we continue our talk, watch as this one chows down on a live meal. The Red Wolf Fish is one of a handful of fish in a family consisting of three genera, all of which are extremely aggressive. Another member of the family is the much larger Hoplias malabaricus that can grow to nearly 3 feet long if not larger in the wild! Luckily you can get a piece of this aquatic terror without having to keep a fish the size of a dog. The Red Wolf will grow to a max size of about 8 to 10 inches, still making it quite a large fish, but not unmanageable if your determined.

Caring for this fish is relatively easy, as it’s fairly adaptive in the home aquarium. Preferred by this fish are the following water conditions: A Temperature between 70 and 80 F, pH anywhere from 6-8 and 3 to 18 degrees GH and KH. If you plan on keeping this fish long term, a minimum tank size of 55 gallons is recommended, if not a 75 or larger. Filtration must also be kept in check as this fish will generate a lot of waste especially if you’re feeding it live and or high protein foods on the regular.

Younger red wolfs like the one in this video display a yellow to light reddish orange accent pattern throughout their body starting at the gill cover, ending towards the caudal fin. Like many other fish, these colors will become more pronounced as the fish matures. A dark black stripe also spans this entire region. The dorsal fin is of interest here due to its size, unique shape and coloration.

If you have a peaceful community tank, this is probably isn't the fish for you. Due to its aggression level and appetite for fish up to a third of its size, red wolfs are often kept in their own tank, along with some man-made hiding places such as large PVC pipe or terracotta pots. Wolf fish care should be taken seriously, so do as much research as possible before purchasing Keeping more than one wolf fish in the same tank can also present issues due to their territorial nature. The only fish to safely pair with the red wolf are large non aggressive species, but even then you still run the risk of altering the behavior and stress level of some tank mates.